Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Wednesday that the Department of Health (DOH) has already ordered stricter monitoring of the country's borders amid the threat of monkeypox from overseas.
Duque told DZRH that they are already closely coordinating with the World Health Organization (WHO) regularly to prepare for the disease.
"Ito ay binabantayn naman. Ang WHO, nakikipag-ugnayan tayo kung ano ang mga dapat paghandaan," said the health secretary in an interview.
(We are monitoring it. We are coordinating with the DOH on what should be prepared.)
"Isa nga rito, pinag-utos ko two weeks ago pa noong nabalitaan ko, na higpitan 'yung ating border control, 'yung ating heightened surveillance," he added.
(One of these, as I ordered two weeks ago when I heard the news, is the tighter border control and heightened surveillance.)
According to Duque, the Bureau of Quarantine was also ordered to beef up the country's symptom screening for monkeypox.
"Kailangan maging mapagmatyag ang ating Bureau of Quarantine at palakasin 'yung tinatawagan nating symptom screening," said the official. "Meron nang guidelines ang Bureau of Quarantine kung ano ang tatanungin, ano ang babantayan, ano ang mga hakbang."
(The Bureau of Quarantine should be vigilant and symptom screening should be improved. The Bureau of Quarantine already has guidelines on what should be asked, what should be monitored, and what steps should be taken.)
It comes after the WHO reported a "multi-country outbreak of monkeypox in several regions of the world."
According to the WHO, monkeypox is a disease with symptoms that are similar, but less severe, to smallpox.
Duque also assured the public that it is not as transmissible as COVID-19, and can only be spread through contact with bodily fluids.
"Hindi naman ito sadyang nakahahawa katulad ng COVID," said Duque. "Ito medyo may kahirapan itong kumalat dahil kailangan mo rito physical, direct contact."
(It is not as transmissible as COVID. This one has difficulty in spreading because it requires physical, direct contact.)
"Halimbawa, merong lesion, o kaya body fluids, kapag naipasa sa'yo 'yan magkakaroon ka ng monkeypox."
(For example, if there are lesions or body fluids when it is passed to you, you can get monkeypox.)
The country has yet to report a case of monkeypox, according to Duque.
